Diverge

• #20: Ride Joburg

  In a special episode from Ride Joburg, the Diverge Podcast recaps on a thrilling and at times chaotic 28th edition of the world’s second-largest timed bicycle race. While thousands of fun riders enjoyed a beautiful day out on the roads of Johannesburg, the elite men and women raced for R200 000 winners' cheques. Kim le Court returned from European racing to dominate the women’s battle, beating her nearest rival, Lucy Young, by 79 seconds. Magda Nieuwoudt was third, after animating the women’s racing in the second half of the 97km long course. Jaedon Terlouw won the men’s race after coming to the line with two former winners, Ryan Gibbons and Marc Pritzen. The PYGA Euro Steel man dove down the inside in a self-described “dodgy” move to seize the advantage going into the final straight, and with all the momentum, could sit up and enjoy the moment as he secured the biggest win of his young career. To read full stories of how the men’s and women’s races were won, plus more from the world of South African endurance sport, visit Diverge.info:Terlouw Puts MTB Skills to Use to Win 2025 Ride JoburgLe Court Underlines Stellar 2025 Season with the Ride Joburg Title Follow Diverge on social media: @diverge.info on Instagram, Diverge on Facebook, @Diverge_info on X, and Diverge on YouTube. And subscribe on Spotify.

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• #19: Gravel Burn Build-Up

  In a busy week for endurance sport, the Diverge Podcast dives into the build-up to the inaugural Nedbank Gravel Burn and reflects on the cancellation of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. In happier, positive news, the first edition of what has been marketed as the world’s premier gravel stage race gets underway on Sunday, 26 October. The elite line-ups have been announced, and the route will certainly challenge both the elite and amateur riders alike. Sadly, the Cape Town Marathon had to be called off in the early hours of Sunday morning, when gale-force winds destroyed the Greenpoint race village, making the start/finish precinct unsafe. Sanlam has stepped in to guarantee the entries of the 2025 entrants for the 2026 or 2027 race, but the status of the event’s application for Abbott World Marathon Major status remains uncertain. To read about the full men’s and women’s elite line-ups for the Nedbank Gravel Burn and all the Cape Town Marathon communiques, visit Diverge.info:Meet the Men Contesting the Inaugural Nedbank Gravel BurnWomen to Watch at the 2025 Nedbank Gravel BurnRecord Runs and Emotional Scenes at Cape Town Trail Marathon RacesImpressive Repeat Wins for Hendricks and Kavanagh in 10km Peace Run2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Cancelled Due to Adverse Wind ConditionsCancellation Timeline of the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town MarathonSanlam to Sponsor 2026 or 2027 Entries for Cancelled 2025 Marathon EntrantsFollow Diverge on social media: @diverge.info on Instagram, Diverge on Facebook, @Diverge_info on X, and Diverge on YouTube. And subscribe on Spotify.

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• #18: Returning to the Roots of the Cape Epic Route

  This week, on the Diverge Podcast, we look at the 2026Absa Cape Epic route, which was launched on the 9th of October, and the 2025 Prince George Monumental 100-Miler. The 692-kilometre-long course is the longest since 2015, when the route last topped the 700-kilometre mark. 15 900metres of climbing across that distance equates to 22.98 metres of climbing per kilometre, which is the least since 2018. It also features the first visit to Montagu, in the Klein Karoo, since 2007. In short, the stages are as follows: PROLOGUE Sunday, 15 March 2026Meerendal Wine Estate20km with 650m of climbing STAGE 1 Monday, 16 March 2026Montagu90km with 2 150m of climbing STAGE 2 Tuesday, 17 March 2026Montagu102km with 2 250m of climbing  STAGE 3 Wednesday, 18 March 2026Montagu to Greyton134km with 1 750m of climbing  STAGE 4 Thursday, 19 March 2026Greyton84km with 1 950m of climbing  STAGE 5 Friday, 20 March 2026Greyton to Stellenbosch128km with 2 700m of climbing  STAGE 6 Saturday, 21 March 2026Stellenbosch76km with 2 450m of climbing  STAGE 7 Sunday, 22 March 2026Stellenbosch58km with 2 000m of climbing  See where you can pre-ride on the Cape Epic routes byvisiting www.montagutrails.co.za, www.greytonmtb.co.za, and www.stellenboschtrailfund.co.za. To read the full and official route descriptions, as well as more news from thebroader South African endurance sport industry, visit Diverge.info:2026 Cape Epic Route – A return to the Roots Follow Diverge on social media: @diverge.info on Instagram, Diverge on Facebook, @Diverge_info on X, and Diverge on YouTube. And subscribe on Spotify.

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• #17: Reflecting on the Cape Pioneer

  Last week, the Diverge Podcast was at the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. We tried to do daily podcasts, but fell off the wagon after Stage 2. So here are the final 3 days all in one long pod. The headline, of course, is that Tristan Nortje and Travis Stedman won the men’s race overall, after winning atop Swartberg Pass on Friday’s Queen Stage. Vera Looser and Samantha Sanders dominated the women’s race, winning all 5 stages and the overall by 42 minutes. Stage 3 was a transition stage from Louvain to Oudtshoorn. Traditionally, it had been a longer but less intense stage, thanks to long gravel road sections in the route. In 2025, that was not the case! Dryland took the riders across the Klein Karoo on a course consisting of 85% rocky dual track, with just a few short gravel sections. Arno du Toit punctured and spent the day chasing with Keagan Bontekoning to defend Insect Science’s third position on the general classification. There was further drama in the UCI Women’s race when Steph Wohlters crashed, which later caused her and Sarah Hill to lose time in their battle for second in the overall standings.Stage 4 was the Swartberg Showdown, the Queen Stage of the Cape Pioneer. Victories for Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp, and Efficient Infiniti Insure all but guaranteed that they would take home the titles. But there was still action aplenty on the trails, too.The final stage offered another opportunity for Jaedon Terlouw and Michael Foster to race to stage-winning redemption after their puncture problems on Stages 1 and 4. Behind the leaders on the day, Nortje and Stedman countered the moves of Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha to take home the 2025 title. While in the UCI Women’s race, Looser and Sanders put the hammer down and stretched their legs, securing a fifth stage win and the overall crown in style.To read more news from the Race with Soul and beyond in the broader South Africa’s endurance sport industry, visit Diverge.info:Honeycomb 226ers Sprint to Stage 3 Victory at the Cape PioneerVictories in Yellow and Pink atop the Swartberg at the Cape PioneerChampions Crowned at the Cape Pioneer Grand FinaleFollow Diverge on social media: @diverge.info on Instagram, Diverge on Facebook, @Diverge_info on X, and Diverge on YouTube. And subscribe on Spotify.

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• #16: Redemption for PYGA Euro Steel at the Cape Pioneer

  This week, the Diverge Podcast is at the Momentum MedicalScheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. Tune in for daily reports and interviews from the race. After losing time with a catastrophic rear wheel puncture on Stage 1, the PYGA Euro Steel Team of Jaedon Terlouw and Michael Foster earned a redemption of sorts by winning Stage 2. In the general classification battle, the Honeycomb 226ers, Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha, gained back 30 seconds to reduce Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp’s advantage to 3 minutes and 36 seconds overall. Tristan Nortje and Travis Stedman will wear the yellow First Ascent leaders’ jerseys on Stage 3. In the UCI Women’s race, Vera Looser and Samantha Sandersnotched up their second stage victory, while Safari Essence Titan Racing and Efficient Infiniti Insure battled it out for second. Bianca Haw and Danielle du Toit gained back 69 seconds on the day, but remain 1 minute and 57 seconds behind Sarah Hill and Steph Wohlters. To read more news from the Race with Soul and beyond inthe broader South Africa’s endurance sport industry, visit Diverge.info:Redemption for PYGA Euro Steel and Efficient Infiniti Double Up at the Cape Pioneer Follow Diverge on social media: @diverge.info on Instagram, Diverge on Facebook, @Diverge_info on X, and Diverge on YouTube. And subscribe on Spotify.

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